IceHogs center familiar with AHL foe Peoria

No one on the Rockford IceHogs’ roster is going to know more about the Peoria Rivermen than Gavin Morgan.

Mike DeDoncker

No one on the Rockford IceHogs’ roster is going to know more about the Peoria Rivermen than Gavin Morgan.

IceHogs coach Mike Haviland could have picked the two-time Rivermen captain’s brain for ways to approach a two-game exhibition series with Peoria that begins with a 7 p.m. game today at Peoria’s Carver Arena.

Instead, he wants the 31-year-old veteran center to play his game and be able to concentrate on his chance to catch on in the Chicago Blackhawks’ organization.

“This chance means a lot to me,” said Morgan, who had 22 goals and 37 assists in 127 games for the Rivermen over the past two seasons. “I appreciate every opportunity I get, and the Blackhawks and IceHogs have given me an opportunity to come in here and make a difference with my leadership and the way that I play hockey and, hopefully, I’ll lead by example.”

Morgan, who played six games with the NHL’s Dallas Stars in 2003-04, made his pro debut in 1999 with the Utah Grizzlies of the old International Hockey League. He was part of a veteran-heavy Peoria team the past two years but was released after last season and signed by the Blackhawks as a free agent.

“I know they still liked me and they have a lot of respect for me, just as I have a lot of respect for the people in that organization,” he said of Peoria. “Hopefully, though, I can do my best to be here and help us beat them.

“Most of all, I want to make a good showing for Rockford.”

Morgan said he doubted Haviland would have needed to ask him how to approach this weekend’s games. “These are educated guys and they know how to prepare,” he said.

But Morgan also said he thinks veterans are an important part of developing players in the American Hockey League.

“I really am looking forward to having the opportunity to help younger guys the way veteran players helped me when I was coming up,” Morgan said. “I know that some of the guys I had playing with me made a big difference in how hard I worked out there on the ice. They let me know the hard work, through their example, is what it takes to move to the next level, and that’s where everyone wants to be, including me.”

Haviland said he plans to split time for the players who are under Blackhawks contracts between the two games, and give a large part of the playing time to the players who are in training camp to try out for the team.

“We’re going to be looking for hard work for 60 minutes,” Haviland said.

He said playing the tryout players will give them a fair chance to “play a guy onto the team or play a guy off the team,” because when camp resumes on Monday, Haviland expects to have the team pared down to those who will start the season on the IceHogs’ roster.

Blackhawks claim Pilar
The Chicago Blackhawks said Tuesday they have claimed defenseman Karel Pilar off waivers from the Atlanta Thrashers.

Pilar, 29, had two goals and five assists with six penalty minutes in 10 games for the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League last season. He has appeared in 90 NHL games for the Toronto Maple Leafs, recording six goals and 24 assists with 42 penalty minutes.

He was Toronto’s second-round pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft and also has appeared in 12 NHL playoff games.

Staff writer Mike DeDoncker can be reached at 815-987-1382 or mdedoncker@rrstar.com.